Alaska Climate Summary November 2025

Mostly mild with moderate precipitation

November was generally warmer and drier than normal in Alaska, but without any major extremes. Following the severe storms that buffeted parts of the state in September and October, this was welcome respite.

For the Autumn 2025 climate summary for the Arctic, see my post here.

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Temperature

The November average temperature was above the 1991-2020 baseline over nearly all of Alaska (96 percent of the state) based on ERA5 analysis, though the departures were not to the same levels as occurred in northwest Canada. During the past decade, November 2017, 2018 and 2023 were all milder than this year for Alaska overall. Relative to the 1991-2020 baseline average, the mildest areas were in the northern Interior (Figs 1a and 1b). However, even places that averaged 8 to 10 degrees above normal were still generally cooler than November 2023 and not in the five mildest Novembers. Parts of Southcentral and the Bering coast were slightly cooler than average, though November 2024 was generally cooler. The highest reliable temperature in the state in November was 60°F (15.6°C) at Klawock on the 9th, the lowest -29°F (-33.9°C) at Arctic Village on the 16th.

Fig. 1a November 2025 average temperature departure (°F) from 1991-2020 baseline. Data from ERA5 courtesy of ECMWF/Copernicus.

Fig. 1b November 2025 site-specific temperature departures (°F) from 1991-2020 normal. Data from NWS, FAA, Alaska Fire Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada. NOAA/ECCC published normals used where available, otherwise adjusted 1981-2010 PRISM normals used, courtesy B. Brettschneider.

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Precipitation

Precipitation (rain and the water equivalent in melted snow) was widely below normal, with some areas coming in with less than half of average (Figs. 2a and 2b). However, Southeast Alaska and the eastern Gulf of Alaska coast, the Prince William Sound area and portions of the eastern Interior saw total precipitation generally near to above normal. The highest site-specific totals were 29.67 inches (753.6mm) at Little Port Walter (southeast Baranof Island) and 25.55 inches (649.0mm) at Main Bay (western Prince William Sound). As these are two of the climatologically highest precipitation stations in the state, neither of these totals are in any way unusual.

Fig. 2a November 2025 total precipitation as a percent of the 1991-2020 baseline. Data from ERA5 courtesy of ECMWF/Copernicus.

Fig. 2b November 2025 site-specific total precipitation as a percent of the 1991-2020 normal. Graphic courtesy High Plains Regional Climate Center.

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Snow

Following precipitation, snowfall was also generally below normal in November (Fig. 3). Exceptions included portions of the Brooks Range and eastern Interior and northernmost Southeast Alaska, where the U.S. Customs Station on the Haines Highway reported 57.1 inches (145.0cm), by far the highest of any of the comparatively few places that report daily snowfall.

The November average snow pack snow water equivalent was below the 1991-2020 median in most areas (Fig. 4). The exceptions in southwest Alaska are areas where the typical November snow pack is quite thin and subject to melt out this early in the season. With months of accumulation to go, there is, in general, little correlation between November snow pack and the end-of-season snow pack that will be melting next April and May.

Fig. 4 November average snow water equivalent as a percent of the 1991-2020 median. Data from ERA5 courtesy of ECMWF/Copernicus.

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Sea Ice

Sea ice expansion and growth near Alaska during November was fairly typical for recent years (Fig. 5). Ice-over (when open water remains in less than 5 percent of the basin) of the Beaufort Sea was on November 11, the same date as last year and similar to most years in the past decade. Ice cover expanded in the Chukchi Sea, but at the end of November substantial areas of (disconnected) open water remained south of 71°N. Ice growth in the northern Bering Sea was similar to most recent Novembers.

Fig. 5 AMSR2 Sea ice concentration for November 1, 2025 (top) and November 30, 2025 (bottom). Images courtesy University of Bremen.

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Technical details and underlying data sources

ERA5 monthly temperature and precipitation data available here.

Code by B. Brettschneider/NWS Alaska Region allowing rapid ERA5 regional analysis is invaluable for my work.

Site-specific Alaska climate statistics and factoids from NOAA Regional Climate Center’s ACIS website here. Monthly temperature departures from normal use the published NOAA/NCEI 1991-2020 values wherever available. Where there are no published 1991-2020 normals, e.g. at most FAA airport stations for temperatures, normals were extracted from the 1981-2010 PRISM data (Oregon State University) and then estimated for 1991-2020 baseline period. All PRISM derived normals courtesy B. Brettschneider.

The High Plains Regional Climate Center mapping tool is available here.

AMSR2 data and images from the University of Bremen available here.